[It's better, he thinks, if that's true. If Lance can't imagine, that means he went through - well, something else, at least. More than anything, Adam doesn't want anyone else to go through the same things he did. He doesn't allow himself to indulge in self-pity if he can help it, and he knows there are people in the world who had far worse childhoods. But still. It was bad. He doesn't want that for anyone else.]
Thank you. I don't know if I will. It's hard for me.
[He's being honest, which is significant. In most cases, Adam would politely thank someone for an offer like that and then distance himself and never speak of it again. It's easier that way. He's doing better than he once was, and he has people he trusts here, but even so it isn't easy for him to reach out for help when he needs it. That's always been difficult.]
But - I really appreciate it.
[Even if accepting an offer like that is difficult for Adam, he can appreciate what it takes to offer it, especially for someone who's been through something similar. He's sure this can't be easy for Lance to talk about, he's sure it must be bringing up bad memories. They'll probably both sleep poorly tonight. So it means something that he's offering anyway.]
It seems stupid to offer the same. I'm not really in any position to help anyone, I don't think. But I can listen if you ever need to talk.
[It is the least he can offer. And, in some ways, he's curious. It's an awful subject for them both, but Adam has never really spoken to someone who's been through anything similar. He has friends with trauma (pretty much all of them, here and at home), but nothing like what he grew up with.]
[Text]
Thank you. I don't know if I will. It's hard for me.
[He's being honest, which is significant. In most cases, Adam would politely thank someone for an offer like that and then distance himself and never speak of it again. It's easier that way. He's doing better than he once was, and he has people he trusts here, but even so it isn't easy for him to reach out for help when he needs it. That's always been difficult.]
But - I really appreciate it.
[Even if accepting an offer like that is difficult for Adam, he can appreciate what it takes to offer it, especially for someone who's been through something similar. He's sure this can't be easy for Lance to talk about, he's sure it must be bringing up bad memories. They'll probably both sleep poorly tonight. So it means something that he's offering anyway.]
It seems stupid to offer the same. I'm not really in any position to help anyone, I don't think. But I can listen if you ever need to talk.
[It is the least he can offer. And, in some ways, he's curious. It's an awful subject for them both, but Adam has never really spoken to someone who's been through anything similar. He has friends with trauma (pretty much all of them, here and at home), but nothing like what he grew up with.]